When cooking with beer, you should know the differences between porters and stouts to decide which is the better fit for your dish. Both porters and stouts are dark beers brewed with barley, but porters are often made with chocolate malt, giving them a fittingly chocolatey flavor, while stouts often have a bittersweet, coffee-like flavor profile.

Both of these beers are easy to use in desserts, and the chocolatey flavor profile of a porter can make sweets like brownies or chocolate cakes taste more rich and decadent. As for savory dishes, porters add a sweet touch and deep cocoa notes to meat dishes and sauces, especially when paired with fruit in BBQ glazes.

Stouts can be used in similar ways as porters, but a stout imparts a toasty, malted flavor that is less sweet, which works well in soups, stews, and glazes. While it may not be as sweet in desserts, a stout's maltiness pairs well with the flavors of vanilla ice cream in a float, and enhances sweet and salty recipes with malty pretzels.